MANILA, Philippines -- The bicameral conference committee on Monday approved the new University of the Philippines charter, granting among others, representation of various sectors to its governing body, the Board of Regents (BoR).

“This means that consultation is now a stated policy for the university…That would include issues pertaining to tuition increases,” said Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who is a member of the committee.

The committee also exempted the state university from the Salary Standardization Law, allowing it to pay its teaching staff rates comparable to private universities.

He said the bicameral committee also gave UP P100 million every year for the next five years starting 2009. This, after the committee prohibited the sale of any university land, including those donated before 2009, in any effort to raise money.

“The appropriation will be called the Centennial Fund, and will be over and above the regular appropriations to the university and other donations,” he said.

Cayetano said the committee included a tax package granting donors substantial tax incentives for donations to the university and even investors who plan to set up bookstores, dormitories, canteens and other establishments inside the university.

The new charter also puts the UP president, together with the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, as co-chair of the BoR.

It also increased to 11 the number of BoR members. Aside from the co-chairs, there will also be representatives of the students, the faculty, the alumni, the non-teaching staff and sectors, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and three appointees of the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Previously, the non-teaching staff did not have a representative at the BoR.

The new charter seeks to bring back the glory of UP as the country’s premier national university as well as strengthen its academic freedom.